Technology
Solar-powered desalination plant
Project type
KIVA loan: USD 50,000
crowd-funded through 1,383 lenders
In the Philippines, there are still 1,700 islands without reliable access to clean energy and clean water solutions. On the remote island of Malalison, the community still relies on rainwater catchments during the rainy season and purely on plastic bottles imported from the mainland during the dry season. Through a small-scale solar-powered water desalination plant, the water will be three times cheaper than imported drinking water. This solution will directly improve health and sanitation in the community while avoiding plastic waste from bottles and alleviating social tensions that may arise from the management of a scarce freshwater resource on the island.
OREEi’s pilot project on Malalison island is demonstrating how challenges could be overcome step-by-step, from providing access to renewable energy to developing productive use of renewable energy.
Over 3 years, the plant is expected to supply 6,000 m³ of drinking water and generate over USD 38,000 in income for the women entrepreneurs managing the distribution.
Results
Nexus for Development, as a Kiva field partner raised USD 50,000 for OREEi o build a solar-powered water desalination plant and provide clean water to the community of 200 households. This solar-powered water desalination plant required an investment of USD 63,000, of which OREEI is committing USD 13,000 with their own funds. Once OREEi has recovered their investment from the water distribution, the plant will be transferred to the local community.